Development of Digital Color X-rays

Digital color x-rays are based on the same advanced technology that is used when nuclear physicists look for new elementary particles. The great scientific challenge in constructing a color x-ray camera is to be able to shrink the large-scale detection equipment used by nuclear physicists to the microscopic format.

The readout electronics for each pixel in the camera’s picture sensor must be squeezed into an area of 55 x 55 µm, and what’s more be x-ray safe. The Mid Sweden University researchers have solved these design problems. Furthermore, they have shown that Medipix2 can be used to reduce the radiation dosage in dental x-rays. Industry also expects to be able to use the technology to see the consistency of materials using x-rays.

"With our digital color x-rays it will be possible to cut the radiation risk in half for x-ray examinations," says Börje Norlin. Using advanced computer simulations of the next generation of x-ray cameras, Mid Sweden University has also developed ways to enhance the quality of color x-rays. These cameras will have higher resolution and be able to show more colors of higher quality.